Confiteri: St Lawrence, Rome, and the South

--Picture from Dr Robert Garland, https://www.thegreatcoursesdaily.com/ancient-roman-architecture/

Ancient Rome has had a strong influence on the South in many ways: statecraft, the idea of the farmer-soldier, stoicism, rhetoric, architecture, literature - to name some. This is fine; there is much that is good in the history and traditions of Old Rome. However, Dixie has failed to glean as much as she could from the Roman tradition because she thrown aside so much of the inheritance of the three Orthodox Christian Romes (Rome, Constantinople, and Moscow) in favor of the new-style Christianity of Protestantism.

What did each of these Romes give to the world? Metropolitan Vitaly explains:

. . .

We say that there are three Romes. There is ancient Rome, which through its martyrs broke the iron pillar of the Roman Empire. Pagan Rome gave quite a lot to Christianity, inasmuch as it established the law and defined the human person as a legal entity; it paved countless roads; and it pacified all of Europe, uniting it into the magnificent Roman Empire, into which our Savior was born. The martyrs of the early Christian Church, who had heard the preaching of the Apostles themselves and of their disciples, accepted this preaching with such astonishing clarity that they went to their cruel martyrdoms as if joining a procession. They transformed the Roman Empire by their blood. We remember these great martyrs to this day, and will remember them until the end of the ages.

Later there was the second Rome, Byzantium, which allowed the teaching of the Orthodox Church to pass through the crucible of thought, reason, and human understanding; to this end it made use of the legacy of Greece, which from ancient times had become practiced in human syllogisms and illogisms. Its philosophical heritage was employed in systematizing the Orthodox Church’s teaching. This was the greatest achievement of the second Rome: Byzantium, Constantinople.

Later, when this empire had been destroyed – for there is nothing eternal upon this earth – Moscow became the Third Rome. We have no reason to be ashamed of saying that Moscow was the Third Rome. What gift of God did Moscow, Holy Russia, receive? We know of the countless sufferings through which the Holy Fathers of previous epochs had defended the faith and purity of Orthodoxy from countless heretics. When Orthodoxy spread throughout the Russian plains, the Russian soul in its collectiveness [sobornost] sought its own gift of God, which it found by turning to the Mother of God. The Russian people particularly venerate the Mother of God, which distinguishes our country and our traditions of the Orthodox faith. Of course, other peoples also venerate the Mother of God, but the Russian people chose the Mother of God for special veneration and reverence, as the door to the Heavenly Kingdom. The Mother of God was our special Protectress: there was not a single corner of the whole expanse of the former Russian Empire into which some miraculous icon of the Mother of God had not appeared that was venerated either locally or throughout the nation. The entire Russian land was sanctified by these holy icons; the Russian people believed that the Mother of God herself was invisibly present, as it were, at each icon.

This is our particularity. We will enter the Heavenly Kingdom through the Mother of God. The Mother of God is always depicted with the infant Christ the Savior. This particularity of icon-painting hearkens back to an ancient tradition that tells of some freethinking and insolent people who, looking at the Mother of God during his lifetime, said: “How can she be the Mother of God? How could she have given birth to God? How is this possible?” Then the Mother of God raised her most pure hands to heaven, seeking the protection of God, just as she is depicted on the Kursk-Root Icon. Then the Lord showed Himself to these disputers of this world in her most pure womb, just as He is depicted on her icon. These cowards, seeing such an incredible miracle, were cast into the fear of God; and the insolent people, who were infected with incurable pride, fled in terror, having seen the Savior’s face as Judge in anticipation of His Second Coming.

This is our icon. With the raised hands of the Mother of God it addresses all non-believers and believers alike, that they might learn to fear disbelief. This best witnesses to our entire people that the Mother of God is truly the Theotokos, that she truly bore our God and Savior.

The particular Russian piety for venerating the Mother of God is a response to the Russian soul’s age-old yearning to perceive God’s grace, which cannot be reduced to an abstract concept, distinctly and actually. The Mother of God also showed her protection to such great saints as our St. Sergius of Radonezh, to whom she appeared more than once, and in more recent times to St. Seraphim of Sarov. Recall how St. Seraphim, sitting on a log in the dense forest, revealed God’s grace to Motovilov distinctly and actually. St. Seraphim embraced him and suddenly the grace of the Holy Spirit moved from the saint to Motovilov who, perceiving God’s grace in fear and trembling, felt as though he were not on earth but in heaven.

This is what the Russian people seek: it desires to perceive God’s grace actually and completely. This is the ideal of the Russian soul.

. . .

--http://www.pravmir.com/the-kursk-root-icon-and-the-future-of-russia/

But since the South has great affinity for Ancient Rome, let us look more closely at Christianity during the early years of the Church in Rome, during the persecutions of the pagan emperors, particularly at St Lawrence the Head-deacon of Rome and Martyr (+10 August 258). By studying his life, the South will perhaps be able to step into the broader world of Orthodox Romanity (which is her natural home, being an admirer of things both Roman and Christian). Here is the hymn that the Spanish poet Prudentius (reposed about 405 A. D.) wrote in honor of his fellow Orthodox Spaniard St Lawrence:

A Hymn in Honour of the Passion of the

Most Blessed Martyr Lawrence.

Rome, thou ancient mother of temples, but now

given up to Christ, Lawrence has led thee to victory

and triumph over barbarous worship. Thou hadst

already conquered haughty kings and held the

nations in check ; now thou dost lay the yoke of thy

power on unnatural idols. This was the one glory

lacking to the honours of the city of the toga, that it

should take savage paganism captive and subdue its

unclean Jupiter, not with the tempestuous strength

of Cossus" or Camillus ^ or Caesar, but by the battle in

which the martyr Lawrence shed his blood. The faith

fought in arms, not sparing her own blood, for by death

she destroyed death and spent herself to save herself.

Xystus « the priest had already foretold this when

he was fastened to the cross and saw Lawrence

weeping at the foot of its post. " Shed no more

tears in sorrow at my departure," he said. " I

go before you, my brother ; you too will follow me

three days from now." The bishop's last words,

predicting Lawrence's glory, came true, for the day

he foretold set the palm before him. With what

words, what great praises, shall I celebrate the events

of his death in their order, in what verses worthily

sing the story of his passion ? He, being the chief of

the seven" who stand next the altar, the Levite*

highest in rank and outstanding above the rest,

was in charge of the safe-keeping of the holy things,

with trusty keys managing the treasury of the

heavenly house and paying out the money of the

offerings. Now the prefect of the imperial city, the

agent of a frantic ruler for enforcing payment of

gold and blood, has a hunger for money busy in his

heart, pondering how to unearth the hidden cash, for

he thinks great riches piled in heaps lie concealed

down in the treasury. He orders Lawrence to be

brought before him and seeks for information of the

chest packed with precious ingots, the mountains of

shining coins in store. " It is your wont," he says,

" to protest that our cruelty goes beyond all justice

in cleaving Christian bodies with worse than blood-

thirstiness. Here you have no judge whose mind is

heated with passions too violent. Softly and calmly I

make a request which you should be ready to meet.

It has come out that the custom and style of your

secret rites, the rule of your brotherhood, is that

your priests make offering from vessels of gold.

They say the holy blood smokes in silver cups, and

that at your services by night the candles stand fixed

in golden candlesticks. And then, as common talk

keeps on declaring, it is the brethren's chief concern

to sell their properties and offer sesterces " in

thousands. The disinherited heir laments that his

grandsires' estates have been knocked down in-

famously under the hammer ; his holy parents have

brought him to want. All this wealth is concealed in

out-of-the-way corners of your churches, and it is

believed to be the greatest piety to leave your dear

children destitute. Fetch out your treasures, those

piles you amass through your wicked tricks of per-

suasion and shut up in some dark hole. Our country's

need, the emperor's chest, the public treasury call

for this step, that the money may be devoted to

soldiers' pay and assist our High Commander.

Your teaching runs thus, I am told: " Render to

each his own." Well then, Caesar recognises his

own stamp on your coins. What you know for

Caesar's, give to Caesar. It is surely a fair request

I make. Your God, I think, stamps no money;

nor when He came did He bring golden Philips « down

with Him, but gave instructions in words, not being

furnished with a purse. Make good, then, the credit

of his sayings, on the strength of which you cry

yourselves up throughout the world. Pay over the

money cheerfully and be rich in words."

No rough or quarrelsome answer does Lawrence

make to this, but assents willingly, as ready to obey.

" Our church is rich," he says, " I make no denial.

It has very much wealth and gold, no man in the

world is richer. The very Augustus who holds the

seat of power and whose inscription is on every coin,

has not so many images on silver. Yet I do not

object to producing our wealthy God's treasure-

chest ; I shall divulge and bring forth all the precious

possessions of Christ. But one thing I beg and

entreat, — a little time of grace, that I may discharge

more effectually the task I promise, by making an

ordered list of all Christ's belongings ; for we must

first compute the total, and then note it at the foot."

The delighted prefect, ready to burst with joy,

greedily enjoys his hope, exulting as if he had the

gold already laid in his possession. The bargain is

struck for a space of three days, and then Lawrence

is commended and dismissed, standing surety for

himself and for the vast riches.

For three days he runs about the city gathering

into one flock the companies of the infirm and all the

beggars for alms. There a man showing two eyeless

sockets is directing his straying, faltering step with

the guidance of a staff ; a cripple with a broken knee,

a one-legged man with his other limb cut short, a

man with one leg shorter than the other, are dragging

unequal steps along. Here is one whose limbs are

covered with sores and running with decayed matter,

and one whose right hand is withered, the muscles

contracted to the elbow. Such people he seeks out

through all the public places, men who were wont to

be fed from the store of their mother the Church,

and whom as her steward he knew before. Then he

reviews them one by one, writing down each man's

name, and makes them stand posted in a long line in

the forefront of the church.

By this the prescribed time had passed, and the

judge was beside himself with the vehemence of his

covetous spirit as he called for payment of the

promise. Then said the martyr : " Pray give us

your presence, and marvel at the wealth set out

before you, which our exceeding rich God has in his

sanctuaries. You will see the great nave gleaming

with vessels of gold, and along the open colonnades

course on course of precious metal." So he went,

not thinking it beneath him to follow. They reached

the hallowed door, and there stood the companies of

poor men in their swarms, a ragged sight. Up rises a

din of beggars* appeals, and the prefect, startled and

amazed, turns to Lawrence with menace in his angry-

eyes. But Lawrence counters : " Why do you rage

and threaten ? What displeases you ? Do you

think all this mean or worthless, only to be scorned ?

Gold, for which you thirst vehemently, is got from

rubbish dug out of the earth ; penal labour * ex-

cavates it from dirty mines ; or a rushing river rolls

it down enwrapped in its muddy sand; and being

earthy and dirty it has to be refined with fire. By

means of gold the bonds of modesty are unloosed and

innocence is outraged, through it peace comes to an

end, honour dies, the very law itself lapses away.

Why do you exalt the poison of glory and hold it

of great worth ? If you seek gold that is more real,

it is the light and the race of men. These are foster-

children of light, confined by a feeble body lest

through the well-being of their flesh their spirit

should swell with pride. When disease rives the body

the spirit is stronger in activity, but again when the

members are stout the force of the spirit is hurt.

For the blood is hot for sin, but it furnishes less force

if its heat is exhausted by bodily ills and it contracts

a poison which enfeebles it. If haply I had to choose ,

I would rather bear with broken members under the

cruellest pain and be handsome in my inner self.

Match together the natures of the ills that plague us,

compare our calamities of either kind : is disease of

the flesh the more loathsome, or the sores on soul

and character ? Our people are weakly in body, but

within they have beauty unimpaired, they are comely

and free from distress and bear a soul that has no

hurt. But yours, while strong in body, are corrupted

by an inner leprosy, their superstition halts like one

that is maimed, their self-deception is blind and

sightless. Any of your great men, who make

a brave show in dress and features, I shall prove

feebler than any of my poor men. Here is one who

vaunts himself in his silk and is puffed up with pride

as he rides in his chariot, but a watery dropsy of the

soul within distends him with its transparent poison.

And here is another who in his greed crooks his hands

and draws them close, his palm doubled, his finger-

nails like hooks, and cannot relax the tendons. This

other is dragged by foul lust among public harlots and

polluted with mire and filth as he goes a-begging

after dirty whorings. And he there, who seeks

hotly for advancement and burns with thirst for

rank, is he not panting with fevers underneath and

maddened by the fire in his veins ? Whoso wants the

self-control to be silent and has a restless urge to

betray secrets suffers tortures from the irritation of

his passion and the constant itch in his heart. You

do not need me to recount the scrofulous swellings in

envious breasts, or the discoloured, festering sores of

malice. You yourself who rule over Rome, who

despise the everlasting God, worshipping foul devils,

are suffering from the ruler's sickness.** These men,

whom in your pride you scorn and count detestable,

will soon put off their sore-ridden bodies and be in

sound health, when they shall be loosed and free at

last from the most corrupt flesh and in the most

beauteous condition of life shine in their Father's

house on high, no longer dirty or feeble as for the

present they appear, but bright with gleaming robes

and golden crowns. Then, if it were possible, I

would have these great men of the world put for

review before your eyes. You would see them

covered with rags, snivelling at the nose, their chins

wet with their slaver, their eyes purblind and matter-

ing on the lids. There is nothing fouler than a

sinner, nothing so leprous or rotten ; the wound

of his sins keeps bleeding and stinks like the pit of

hell. The tables are turned and a corrupted figure

is imposed on souls which formerly had delight in a

comely presence in the body. Here then are the

golden coins which a short while ago I promised,

coins which tumbling walls cannot bury under burn-

ing ashes, nor thief carry away by stealth. And now

I give you noble jewels also, so that you need not

think Christ is poor, jewels of flashing light with

which this temple is adorned. You see the con-

secrated virgins, and marvel at the pure old women

who after the loss of their first husbands have known

no second love. These are the Church's necklace,

the jewels with which she decks herself; thus dowered

she is pleasing to Christ, and thus she adorns her

high head. There are her riches, take them up;

with them you will adorn the city of Romulus and

enrich the emperor's estate, and yourself be made

richer too."

" He is mocking us," cries the prefect, mad with

rage, " making wonderful sport of us with all this

allegory. And yet the madman lives ! Think you,

rascal, to get off with contriving such trickeries with

your comedian's quibbling and theatrical buffoonery ? "

Did you think it neat pleasantry to make a butt of

me? Have you made your guffaws out of me and

turned me into a merry piece of entertainment ?

Have the magisterial rods so wholly lost their stern

control? Has gentle lenity so blunted the axe of

authority ? You say ' I am ready to die ; to the

martyr death is an object of desire.' You Christians

have, we know, this vain persuasion. But I shall not

grant your wish to be presented with a short way

to your end in a quick death. I shall not let you die

in a hurry. I shall hold on to your life and prolong it

through slow, unceasing punishments ; a death which

keeps you fast in its toils will drag out long-lasting

pains. Lay the coals not too hot, so that the heat

shall not be too fiery and seize on the stiff-necked

fellow's face and get into the depths of his breast.

Let its hot breath die down and languish so as to

pour out with no strong gust but by degrees temper

the torments and only scorch his body.<* It is well

that of them all the head of their secret rites has

fallen into our hands, for he by himself will furnish

an example of what they next must fear. Get up on

to the pyre they have laid for you, lie down on the

bed you deserve ; and then, if you like, argue that

my god of fire is nothing."

While the prefect was thus speaking, the cruel

tormentors all around were making ready to strip

the martyr of his robe and bind his limbs and stretch

them out. His face shone with beauty and a glory

was shed around him. Such was the countenance

that the bearer of the law brought down from the

mountain on his return, and the Jewish people, having

stained and tarnished itself with the golden ox, was

greatly afraid of him and turned its face away because

it could not bear the presence of God.« Such again

was the glory which Stephen presented shining on

his face as amid the rain of stones he gazed at the

open heavens.* This was made visible farther off

to the brethren lately cleansed from sin, whom

baptism given not long before had made fit to

receive Christ ; but the blind eyes of the ungodly,

their face being covered over with the blackness of

night and enveloped under a veil of darkness, saw

not the brilliance. It was like the Egyptian plague

which, while it condemned the barbarians to dark-

ness, gave to the Hebrews the clear light of day."

Even the very nature of the smell arising from the

scorched skin gave the two parties contrary sensa-

tions : to the one it was the smell of roasting, to the

other the scent of nectar ; the same sense, varied

by a different aura, in the one case brought on the

nostrils an avenging horror, in the other charmed

them with delight. So is God an everlasting fire;

for Christ is the true fire, it is He who fills the

righteous with light and burns the guilty.

After the long-continued heat has burned his side

away, Lawrence on his own part hails the judge

and addresses him briefly from the gridiron: "This

part of my body has been burned long enough ; turn

it round and try what your hot god of fire has done."

So the prefect orders him to be turned about, and

then " It is done," says Lawrence; " eat it up, try

whether it is nicer raw or roasted." These words

spoken in jest, he then looks up to heaven, and sigh-

ing deeply prays in pity for the city of Romulus :

" O Christ, the one name, the glory and strength of

the Father, creator of earth and sky and founder of

this city, who hast set the sceptre of the world on

Rome's high citadel, ordaining that the world obey

the toga of Quirinus "and yield to his arms, that

thou might 'st bring under one system of laws the

customs and observance, the speech and character

and worship of nations which differed among them-

selves ; lo, the whole race of men has passed under

the sovereignty of Remus, and usages formerly dis-

cordant are now alike in speech and thought. This

was appointed that the authority of the Christian

name might bind with one tie all lands everywhere.

Grant, O Christ, to thy Romans that the city by

which Thou hast granted to all others to be of one

mind in worship, may itself be Christian. All its

members everywhere are now allied in one con-

fession of faith. The world it has subdued grows

peaceable ; may the supreme head too grow peace-

able. May she see that countries far apart are

uniting in one state of grace, and may Romulus

become one of the faithful, and Numa himself be now

a believer. The superstition which came from Troy

still confounds a senate of Catos," doing homage at

secret altars to the Phrygians' exiled Penates.*

The senate worships Janus of the two faces and

Sterculus " (I shudder to name all these monstrosities

our Fathers own) and keeps the festival of old

Saturn.'* Wipe away this shame, O Christ; send

forth thy servant Gabriel that the straying blindness

of Julus * may recognise the true God. Already we

hold most trusty sureties for this hope, for already

there reign here the two chiefs of the apostles,/ the

one he who called the Gentiles, while the other

occupies the foremost chair and opens the gates of

eternity which were committed to his keeping.

Away, thou lecherous Jupiter, defiled with the

violation of thy sister! Leave Rome at liberty,

flee from her people, who now are Christ's. Paul

banishes thee hence, the blood of Peter drives thee

out. That deed of Nero's <* for which thou didst

put the sword in his hand hurts thee. I foresee that

one day there will be an emperor who will be the

servant of God and will not suffer Rome to be in the

service of vile, abominable rites, but will shut and bar

her temples, block up their ivory doors, close their

unholy entrances and make them fast with bolts of

brass. Then at last will her marbles shine bright

because they will be cleansed from all blood, and

the statues that stand in bronze, which now she

thinks of as idols, will be guiltless." ^

So ended his prayer, and with it ended his im-

prisonment in the flesh ; the spirit broke forth eagerly

after his words. Certain senators carried the body

on their shoulders, whom the hero's marvellous inde-

pendence had persuaded to seek the favour of Christ.

A new disposition had suddenly inspired their inmost

hearts and from love of the most high God constrained

them to hate their old-time follies. From that day

the worship of those base gods flagged, the people

were seen in smaller numbers at their shrines, and

there was a rush to the sanctuary of Christ. In this

warfare Lawrence did not gird a sword on his side,

but turned back the foe's steel against its wi elder.

In making war on God's indomitable witness, the

devil was stabbed himself and fell, and now lies

prostrate for ever. The death the holy martyr died

was in truth the death of the temples. That day

Vesta saw her Palladian house-spirits " deserted and

no vengeance follow. All the Romans who used

to reverence Numa's libation-cup * now crowd the

churches of Christ and sound the martyr's name in

hymns. The very ornaments of the senate, men who

once served as Luperci " or flamens, now eagerly kiss

the thresholds of apostles and martyrs. We see

distinguished families, where both sides are high-

born, dedicate their dear ones, their noble children.

The priest who once wore the head-bands is admitted

to receive the sign of the cross and, Lawrence, a

Vestal Claudia "^ enters thy church.

O thrice and four times, yea seven times blessed

the dweller in Rome, who pays honour to thee and

the abode of thy bones in presence, who can kneel

by them, who sprinkles the spot with his tears,

bowing his breast to the ground and in a low voice

pouring out his prayers! Us the Vascon Ebro

separates from thee, we are far removed beyond

two mountain-ranges, across the Cottian heights '^

and the snowy Pyrenees. Scarcely even have we

heard report how full Rome is of buried saints,

how richly her city's soil blossoms with holy tombs.

Still though we lack these blessings and cannot see

the traces of blood with our own eyes, we look up to

heaven on high. It is thus, holy Lawrence, that we

seek thy passion; for thou hast two seats, that of

thy body here on earth, that of thy soul in heaven.

Admitted there as a freeman of the ineffable city,

thou wearest the civic crown * in that Capitol where

sits the everlasting senate. I think I see the hero

flashing with brilliant jewels, whom the heavenly

Rome has chosen to be her perpetual consul. The

power entrusted to thee, the greatness of the

function assigned to thee, is proved by the rejoicings

of Rome's citizens, to whose requests thou givest

assent. What each one asks in prayer, he has

happily granted him. They ask, and are gay, and

tell, and none returns home sorrowful ; it is as if thou

wert ever by their side to help, taking thy foster-

children of the city to the richness of thy breast and

feeding them with a father's love. Among them,

thou glory of Christ, listen to a country poet as he

acknowledges the sins of his heart and confesses his

deeds. He is unworthy, I know and own, that

Christ himself should hearken to him ; but through

the advocacy of the martyrs he may attain to healing.

Be thou gracious and hear the prayer of Prudentius

who stands arraigned by Christ, and set him free

from the fetters of the world where he is in bondage

to the body.

--https://archive.org/stream/prudentius00pruduoft/prudentius00pruduoft_djvu.txt

The greatness of the Roman tradition is summed up in saints like the Martyr Lawrence. Mark Antony’s lines in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar ‘He was the noblest Roman of them all’ and ‘This was a man!’ more properly apply to them by far than to Brutus. When the South learns to pray to them, honor them, and imitate them, things will go better for her.

Holy Archdeacon Lawrence, pray for us sinners at the South!